


In another world (we’d be happy)

by wordsofaphoenix (encaton19)



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, Tumblr Prompt, fuck the writers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 03:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18885943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/encaton19/pseuds/wordsofaphoenix
Summary: “He kept seeing flashes of it, of the truck in the rearview, the flash of light and the truck on its side, the knowledge that Buck was in there. His best friend, his family, and, fuck, the love of his life. He’d seen the strewn firefighters start to stir as he hopped out of the truck and he’d had the crushing feeling of relief when he’d seen there were survivors. At least until he noticed that none of them were Buck.”





	In another world (we’d be happy)

**Author's Note:**

> I combined two Tumblr prompts into one story:
> 
> I felt ROBBED of Eddie nervously pacing the waiting room/sitting by Buck's bedside/bringing Christopher to visit etc.
> 
> &
> 
> PLEASE write us Eddie at the hospital when Buck wakes up or soon after? We were robbed of it for effing Ali and Carla
> 
> (this isn’t my best, it was written between studying for finals, but I actually finished it so I must throw it to the world)

It had been a little over three hours since Buck had disappeared into the operating room and Eddie was terrified. He knew that the worst that could happen would probably be Buck losing his leg.

Not ideal, of course, but he’d gladly take a three-limbed healthy Buck over anything. But there was that little niggling thought at the back of his mind about how often surgeries went wrong. It would be no one’s fault. An allergic reaction to the anesthetic, unseen internal injuries, anything could send Buck the same way as Shannon.

And God, Eddie couldn’t lose any more family this soon after Shannon. He’d barely kept it together after that day, but he knew he had to be strong for Christopher. Eddie didn’t know if he could say the same if anything happened to Buck.

He kept seeing flashes of it, of the truck in the rearview, the flash of light and the truck on its side, the knowledge that Buck was in there. His best friend, his family, and, fuck, the love of his life. He’d seen the strewn firefighters start to stir as he hopped out of the truck and he’d had the crushing feeling of relief when he’d seen there were survivors. At least until he noticed that none of them were Buck.

Things had gotten very dramatic and all he could think about was that no one was out there to comfort Buck. No matter how much it hurt him to think about, at least Shannon had had someone by her side. If things went badly, Buck had no one near him.

He’d claimed one of the corners of the waiting room for himself and was pacing, unable to sit still and just wait for news, good bad or otherwise. He vaguely noticed that the rest of them are there too, Hen and Karen, Bobby and Athena, Chim and Maddie, all there waiting for news too. 

It simultaneously feels as though it’s been seconds and years since he was wheeled in when the doctors come in with matching grimaces and Eddie’s heart sinks. Maddie stands, looking professional and calm despite the tears gathering once again. 

“How is he?”

One of the surgeons lets a little grin crack her face, “He’s alive,” Eddie almost misses what she says next through the overwhelming relief of hearing Buck is okay, rubbing his hands roughly over his face, “But it’s going to be a rough few months for him. He’ll need a support system. His leg needed a rod and four screws and even then we almost had to amputate.”

Maddie sniffs and wipes surreptitiously at her eyes, “When can we see him?”

“A nurse will come to get you when he’s settled. It’ll be family only for a few days, of course.” 

“We are his family.” Eddie murmurs from the corner, just loud enough to for them to hear. Eddie catches the other doctor eying each of them in turn, no doubt categorizing the reason each person wouldn’t be related to him. 

They’ve barely left the room when Eddie collapses into a chair, curling to rest his elbows on his knees, chin tucked close to his chest and just breathes. Buck is alive, he’s fine, and Eddie is so glad, on Buck’s behalf, that they didn’t have to amputate. 

“Shit, Carla.” Does she even know Buck’s hurt? If Eddie knows Carla—and he does—she would want to be here for Buck too. They were friends long before Eddie came around. Christopher should be here, they all should be. Buck will want his family—his whole family.

He feels better when Carla arrives with Christopher. Everything feels more solid, less surreal, when his son is there too. He watches Christopher focusing intently on a Disney coloring page he’d brought while Carla speaks in hushed tones with Bobby and Athena. Nearly an hour goes by before a nurse comes out, and by that point, Eddie is worried they forgot about them out here.

“Family of Evan Buckley?”

They all scramble to their feet at this, “We’re his family.” Athena says.

“Oh, okay.” the nurse is visibly frazzled at their group and doesn’t even attempt to protest, “He’s in his room and still a little out of it from the anesthetic, who wants to go in? Only two at a time.”

Eddie sits back down, aware that he’ll probably have to wait a while to see Buck. But Carla comes over and tugs him back up, “You go in with Maddie, I’ll watch Christopher.” Eddie glances around to see everyone nodding as well, agreeing he should be in the first ‘round’ to see him.

He doesn’t deserve it. All these people have known Buck for much longer than Eddie has, them dating doesn’t mean much when you compare it to the family that Buck formed with Bobby, Hen, and Chimney before Eddie even thought about joining the 118.

But still, he stands and follows Maddie and the nurse through the halls, nearly running into Maddie when they stop abruptly outside one of the doors.

“I just want to prepare you. He looks a little, sorry, rough. But the surgery went fine and it’s all normal, even though he might not seem like himself at first.”

Eddie steels himself for the worst, to walk through that door and find a different person staring back at him. 

Instead, when he steps through the door, nearly on Maddie’s heels, he finds Buck squinting at the ceiling. He looks the same as always, maybe just a bit more pale, but otherwise normal until the cast on his leg, suspended just above the bed with a hook, but also propped on a pillow.

He doesn’t move when Maddie goes to sit at his side, nor when Eddie settles on the other. His eyes finally flicker downward when Eddie takes his hand, the one not hooked to any tubes or IVs.

“Hey, handsome.” Buck’s voice is hoarse and Eddie turns away to pour him a cup of water from the pitcher at his bedside. A desperate attempt to hide the tears streaming down his face for another second.

“Hey, Evan.” Eddie says, having wiped away what tears he could. He holds a straw up to Buck’s mouth and waits while he figures out how to use it.

Buck lets go of the straw after a moment and he sounds much better when he asks for his sister.

“I’m right here, Ev,” Maddie says, stroking back her brother’s hair from his forehead, “You sure know how to scare a girl.”

“I’ll have to—“ Buck interrupts himself with a groan as he tries to shift, “I’ll have to remember that.” 

Eddie’s huff of laughter is a half sob as he gingerly kisses Buck’s knuckles. “Don’t you dare, Buckley.”

“Is Cap okay? My leg? I can't remember anything. Maddie, I can't remember.”

Eddie isn’t a violent person by nature, but Buck’s worry makes him want to hit that kid. He clenches his other hand in his lap and pushes that anger down below his worry and relief for Buck.

 

“Look who wanted to visit,” Eddie announces, holding the hospital door open for Christopher.

Buck’s face splits into a wide grin. “Hey, kiddo.” When Christopher is close enough, Buck reaches an arm out to ruffle at his hair.

Eddie stays at the door and watches Buck, his heart swelling with love for this man who treats his son like their own. He knows Buck doesn’t just treat Christopher like his own, but loves him like his own as well. 

“We match!” Christopher gestures excitedly to the crutches proper against the wall next to Buck. He’d been slowly getting used to using them in the few days he’d been in the hospital. He tried to be a good sport about it, but Eddie could tell how frustrated Buck was with them. It would only get worse, having to use them for at least eight weeks.

“I don’t know, bud, I think yours are way cooler.” Buck says, “But how about this, you get to sign my cast, that’s pretty cool, right?”

Christopher laughs and nods, grabbing the sharpie Buck seems to conjure from thin air.

Eddie settles in the chair next to Buck and they both watch Christopher slowly and carefully write his name on the bumpy cast.

“How’re you doing?” Eddie asks once it becomes apparently Christopher is too focused on the letters to hear their conversation.

Buck shrugs and seems to almost shrink, “I just want to get back to work.”

Eddie knows Buck’s serious but he still snorts, “You know most people would use this as an excuse to stay far away from work for as long as possible?”

“You and I both know I’m not ‘most people’.” Buck says, “I feel useless.”

“You aren’t. Trust me. But if it helps, your use right now is helping heal your leg.”

“You’re so lame.” Buck says but he cracks a smile so Eddie knows he said something right.

“I love you.” Eddie whispers, pressing a kiss to the side of Buck’s head, just as Christopher finishes up his signature.

He looks up at the two of them with a pleased grin and Eddie’s heart soars. “I love you—both of you—too.”

**Author's Note:**

> A big thanks to the 9-1-1 discord for helping me write this without even knowing
> 
> And as always, edited by my BAMF beta @strawberrydonutz


End file.
